The illustrations and cover are finished. The book, Chloe Starcatcher, written by Beverly Crandell based on a story by Chloe Pierce, will be privately published. I will post a few illustrations from the book later.
Cloud Gate, nicknamed The Bean
This piece of sculpture is officially called the Cloud Gate, but has been nicknamed The Bean. It was designed by artist Anish Kapoor and draws thousands of tourists. The reflections in some places are like funhouse mirrors.
Under the Bean
Standing underneath the Bean provides funhouse type views of your reflections.
The last photo is one taken to prove I found the geocache that is there.
Me standing at the Bean
Portrait of a Gentleman
Yesterday morning I stopped at a garage sale near my house. I was enjoying seeing what all was there. My eye was drawn first to a small yellow frame, then to the small portrait. It looked very much like my work from several years ago. Looking closer, I discovered my own signature on the painting! What a find!
In the late sixties through the eighties I painted quite a few miniature portraits on commission. Needless to say, I no longer remember who this gentleman is. (Does anybody happen to recognize him? If you do, I would appreciate your letting me know.)
When I went to purchase the painting (along with a few other items), the fellow in charge of the garage sale started “singing the praises” of this “actual painting” (as he put it). When I told him I had painted it, he smiled and said, “Well, you can just have it!”
And now, one little painting that left my hands twenty? thirty? years ago is back with me. It brings a smile to my face.
The size of the painting
A quarter helps to show the actual size of the miniature painting.
These are the two pieces of my artwork on display in The Creamery during the month of March. This exhibit, in the office, shows some of the work of members of various Artist’s Way groups.
The painting on the left is a watercolor based on time spent on Amelia Island.
The pen and ink drawing on the right is one of the illustrations I did for a children’s book published in Holland in 2008. It was written by Inge de Graaf and titled “Matthijs in Honderdland.”
This month’s art exhibit at the Creamery, Springfield, MO, will kick off at the First Friday Artwalk. It will feature works created by members of the Artists’s Way groups. I have two items in the show. One is a watercolor I painted that embodies Amelia Island for me with its sand dunes, birds, and lighthouse. The second is a print from a pen and ink illustration done for a children’s book that was published in Holland in 2008.
It’s published!
It’s a great children’s story. If you can read Dutch, I encourage you to buy it for your children.
(Maybe one day it will be translated into English.)
I’ve had two vacations this summer, each one working its own magic of relaxation a bit differently. But the most magical time of this summer washed over me and engulfed me completely while I was totally absorbed in a delightful new children’s book. It began in Honderdland with a little boy named Matthijs.
I read it once for the story itself, enjoying and appreciating the author’s imagination. Then I read it again with an eye for what would make a good illustration….
My hand reached for the mechanical pencil I use for sketching. It seemed a bit slow at first–it always does–as I sketched a variety of faces for possible use. Then an idea for an illustration came. As I worked on that one, another idea crowded in followed by others. Soon I was very busy.
The creative process took over. I am constantly amazed by it. I start out with an idea; I’m in control of that idea…well, for awhile anyway. Then suddenly the drawing, the illustration, the painting, demands to be changed. It doesn’t want that bush, cloud, or color there, or it wants darker trees in the foreground; or it won’t stay just a small drawing, it refuses to be complete without more added to it. Or it says no to all the color I had planned, or it cries out for more color than I had planned. The details I worked so hard on just don’t fit or draw attention away from where it should be and have to be taken out. The passage of time means nothing. My whole focus is this emerging creation. It’s an enjoyable challenge. It’s my high.
This particular project is now complete; it’s at the publisher. Matthijs in Honderdland, by Inge de Graaf, illustrated by Nancy Dailey, will be out soon. 😀 Woohoo!
Unfortunately there was some “interference” and I no longer felt like posting for awhile. I did finish my second watercolor seascape painting. In the foreground I added a little girl playing in the sand and a dog. I remember that some other things went wrong with that painting and so I learned so more, but the only thing I remember was how hard it was to work with skintones. That was frustrating because I have had no trouble whatsoever with skintones when I’ve used oils. But then finally getting it to work with watercolor was certainly a big relief!
I am happy to say that both of these paintings are now in a private collection in Florida!
I have also finished a third watercolor seascape painting. This one, however doesn’t have as much of the sea showing in it. Instead I painted a short, squat lighthouse on the dunes. The one I worked from is not a real lighthouse; it was originally built as an artist’s studio. It must have been absolutely wonderful to sit up there and watch the clouds roll in and the surf crashing on the beach. I’ll bet some fantastic paintings were created there! I would certainly love to work there.
I also added a mailbox that I had seen on the dunes side of a cottage–not the street side, the dunes side. Makes me wonder if people used to leave messages…? The mailbox disappeared after the last storm season. But I still have it in my painting and can still dream up all kinds of stories about its existence and use. : ) The painting still needed more, so I also added some birds and a little dog.
This one is hanging on my wall for me to continue to enjoy.
Painting number four is sketched, ready for me to start either masking or painting, whatever I decide is best. And while I did add two children and some birds, I really want the main focus to be foam, both huge foamy waves and foam floating towards the edge of the water at the beach. And, I just might try painting “flat” foam instead of using a gel to give it some dimension. The children in front of the foam is my problem, you see….. It will be interesting to see how the painting plays out.
I noticed when I read the last post that I didn’t really explain what happened with the gel. The gel in the jar is white; when I stamped it on for the foam it was a beautiful white–just what I wanted. And then…it just disappeared! Oh, you could feel it, just not see it.
So with the gel mixed with some white paint, I redid the foam and added more. A little darkening in spots in the ocean and on the beach finished off the painting.
Then came my next adventure: Taking Off the Brown Tape
I expected to just get hold of an edge and rip it right off. It would not come off, never mind ripping. I finally had to painstakingly damped about half an inch at a time and then very carefully lift it off millimeter by millimeter with an X-acto knife. It took two days of laborious effort.
I am quite happy with my first attempt at painting an ocean scene with watercolor.
Now, on to number two!
Well! I inadvertendly learned something else as I continued to work on this ocean painting. I was loaned some structure gel. Thought that might be interesting for the foam. Okay…
First I took an eraser and carved some foam. I then dipped the eraser into the gel and stamped the gel where I wanted the foam–to give it that three-dimensional look. It was great! I then left the room to do something else. When I came back…that wonderful foam had disappeared!!!! Well, it was clear, so it just as well have disappeared. What a disappointment.
I also added some white into the sky, and it blended in as nicely as oils do. Not sure how I managed that, but I like it. I also darkened the eye, beak, tail, and legs of the bird; and worked on the rocks.
The painting seems to be coming along nicely (in spite of me?), and I’m enjoying the adventure–feeling relaxed and happy.
